Roller die coiler with fixed helical mandrel

ABSTRACT

Coiled wire is formed by forcing linear wire around a helical groove in a fixed mandrel by means of a hollow, rotating die which surrounds a portion of the groove in the fixed mandrel, there being feed mechanism which forces wire into the helical groove. The rotating die and feed mechanism are driven in synchronism with each other from a common rotary power source.

ited States Patent 1191 Fellter 1 51 June 5, 1973 [54] ROLLER DIE COILER WITH FIXED 3,051,202 8/1962 Kitselman ..140 9294 HELICAL MANDREL 2,290,380 7/1942 Pierce ..72/135 3,342,224 91967 B d 1 ..72142 [75] inventor: PaulJ- Felker, MarShfie1WiS- 2,939,492 6/1960 L31: ..72/135 [73] Assignee: Penetred Corporation, Marshfield,

Wis. Primary ExammerCharles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-Robert M. Rogers Flledl J y 1971 Attorney-Arthur L. Morsell, Jr. and Curtis B. 211 App]. No.: 158,700 MOYSCHJY- [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl ..72/145, 140/9294 Coiled wire is formed by forcing linear wire around a [51] Int. Cl. ..B2lf 3/04, B2lf9/02 helical groove in a fixed mandrel by means of a hol- [58] Field of Search ..72/142,135, 145; low, rotating die which surrounds a portion of the 140/923, 92.94, 92.93 groove in the fixed mandrel, there being feed mechanism which forces wire into the helical groove. [56] References Cited The rotating die and feed mechanism are driven in synchronism with each other from a common rotary UNITED STATES PATENTS power source 3,454,053 7/1969 Miklos ..l40/71.5

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDJUH 5197a 3.736.784

sum 1 UF 2 INVENTOR PAUL J- FELKER ATTORNEYS PATENIEDJUH 5197s 3,736,784

sum 2 OF 2 INVENTOR PAUL J. FELKER ATTORNEYS ROLLER DIE COILER WITH FIXED HELICAL MANDREL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to wire coiling machines for forming coiled wire from linear wire. Many such wire coilers have been known in the past as exemplified, for example, in U. S. Pat. No. 2,643,698, which was issued on Apr. 2, 1953 to David E. Crooker for a Machine for Forming Continuous Wire Coils. As disclosed in this US. patent, a relatively complicated rotatable roller die mechanism has been used in the past wherein a length of linear wire is bent into coil form within a plurality of rotatable die members which are rotated in synchronism with each other around a mandrel to form the wire into a helical coil around the mandrel. The mandrel in these prior art machines was rotatable and rotated in synchronism with the plurality of dies to form the coil of wire. The present invention makes it possible to replace the plurality of rotating die members with a single rotatable die member and to further simplify the structure of the wire coiler by using a stationary mandrel instead of a rotatable mandrel.

In addition to reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure of the coiler, this invention also increases the accuracy and adaptability of the mechanism and makes it possible to readily change mandrel and die sizes and the angle of the helix.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device as above described which can be run at much higher speed than other coilers without developing heat and without damaging the raw material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire coiler which permits ready interchangeability of mandrels of different diameter depending upon the diameter of the coil required and which permits quick and easy changes to change the pitch of the wire being produced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire coiling machine which produces wire coils with unusual consistency as to close-tolerances, the machine being readily operable by unskilled labor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, linear wire is forced into a helical guide path around a fixed mandrel and is bent into a coil as it passes around the mandrel by means of a hollow, rotating die which surrounds the fixed mandrel and by use of feed mechanism which is driven in synchronism with the rotating die. The rotating die and linear feed mechanism are synchronized with each other by virtue of being driven from a common rotary power source.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the feed mechanism of the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an outer side of the feed mechanism shown in FIG. 2 disclosing the drive means therefor;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wire guide mechanism for the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the stationary mandrel and rotatable die for the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the terminal portion of the wire guide mechanism for the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the outer end of the mandrel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, linear wire 10 (FIG. 2) is fed from a suitable wire source into a feed mechanism comprising rollers 12, 14, 16, and 18, which are journalled between plates 13 and 15 and are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2 by means of a drive mechanism which will be described in later paragraphs. After passing between the drive rollers 12, 14,16, and 18, the wire 10 is fed into a hollow rigid guide tube 20 which is fastened between plates 13 and 15 and extends from the guide rollers 16 and 18 to a guide block 22 which is best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6. The wire 10 runs through a longitudinal opening 9 in the guide block 22 and is directed at the proper angle onto a fixed mandrel 24 by means of a projecting end of a guide bar 26 removably supported in the guide block 22, there being a lower cutaway portion 26' below said projecting end, with the rear of said cutaway portion being arcuate as at 85 to match the periphery of the mandrel 24. The fixed mandrel 24 has a helical groove 8 cut into its end as shown in FIG. 5 and the wire 10 is directed to the proper place in the start of the helical groove by the guide bar 26 in the guide block 22 as shown in FIG. 6. The guide block 22 can be adjusted over a narrow angular range by means of the thumb screws 28 and 30 and their matching slotted guide members 32 and 34 by which the guide block 22 is mounted upon its base plate.

A rotatable die member 36 which is removably secured within an end of the sleeve 38 by a set screw 86, engages the wire 10 in the helical groove 8 of the fixed mandrel 24 and forces the wire into a permanent coil shape as best illustrated in FIG. 5. The wire is of a diameter to project slightly beyond the groove. A hollow sleeve member 38 is journalled to two supporting frames 40 and 42 by means of bearings 44 and 46. R0- tatable die member 36 and sleeve 38 are rotated together by means of rotary power applied thereto through a sprocket 48 which is linked by means of a chain 50 to a drive sprocket 52. The drive sprocket 52 is driven by a belt drive from a suitable motor source which is not shown in the drawings and also is linked by means of a second chain 54 which engages a sprocket 56 and drives a flexible drive shaft 58 which is coupled to the wire feed mechanism for driving the feed rollers 12, 14, 16, and 18 in synchronism with the rotation of the die member 36.

The feed roller 18 is attached to the flexible drive shaft 58 and the rotary force of the drive shaft 58 is distributed to the other feed rollers l2, l4, and 16 by means of intermeshing gears 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, and 70. The gear 60 is attached to the shaft of roller 18 which receives its drive directly from a flexible drive shaft 58. The rotary movement of gear 60 is transferred to the other rollers through gears 68 and 70 so that all four of the rollers l2, 14, 16 and 18 are driven atthe same speed in synchronism with the rotary motion of rotating die 36.

The feed mechanism is operated in synchronism with the rotation of the die member 36 so that the wire ill will traverse the helical groove in fixed mandrel 24 without slippage or pile-up. This is done by making the linear speed of the feed mechanism equal to the inside circumferential speed of the die member by means of known prior art gearing ratios.

The fixed mandrel 24 has a minimum of one convolution of the helical groove 8 which has a width and depth sufficient to substantially accommodate the diameter of the wire with a very slight projection of the wire from the top of the groove 8. As best shown in FIG. l, the mandrel 24 is rigidly held between two mounting blocks 72 and 74 which are held together by bolts '76, '78, dll and 82. The positioning of the mandrel 24 can be controlled by loosening the bolts '76, '78, 80, and 82 and then adjusting both the rotary position and the linear position of the fixed mandrel 24 so that it is in proper longitudinal position and is correctly aligned with the guide member 26 through which the wire 10 is applied to the helical groove cut in the end thereof. As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the angle at which the guide member 26 meets the fixed mandrel 24 can be changed through a limited range by the thumb screws 28 and 30 which engage the slotted members 32 and 3d.

it is obvious from the above description that the mandrels of different size may be interchangeably supported in the mounting blocks 72-74, depending upon the diameter of the coil desired, or the pitch of the groove in the mandrel. Where required the guide bar 26 may be readily replaced with one having a cutaway portion 26' shaped to lit the particular mandrel being used. Where the mandrel is changed, of course, the die 36 can be readily changed by loosening the set screw lid to fit the particular mandrel.

in use, the wire enters the groove of the mandrel just externally of the die 36 and the rotating die forms the wire in a helix around the fixed mandrel. Because of the rotational movement of the die moving at the same speed as the lineal speed of the wire, friction between the die and wire is substantially eliminated, and because there is a slight clearance between the periphery of the mandrel and the ED of the die, friction between these two parts is eliminated, the wire projecting slightly beyond the grooves. The movement of the wire through the die is caused by the feed movement of the wire in conjunction with the rotating movement of the die.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that this invention provides a novel wire coiler mechanism which is simpler in structure, lower in cost, and more accurate in operation than those heretofore known in the art, and although the invention has been illustrated with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment since many modifications can be made in the disclosed structures without altering their fundamental principle of operaticn. For example, although four feed rollers are utilized in the disclosed embodiment of this invention, it may be desirable in other embodiments of the invention to have either fewer or more feed rollers. Also, although the rotary forces applied to the feed rollers and to the rotating die are communicated thereto by means of a sprocket and chain drive, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other forms of drive coupling could be used without altering the fundamental principle of operation. Accordingly, it should be understood that this invention includes all such modifications that fall within the scope of the following claims.

What i claim is:

l. A continuous wire coiler comprising a cylindrical non-rotatable mandrel having a helical wire-forming groove in its periphery, said groove having a receiving end and having a discharge end, a hollow die mounted for rotation around a grooved portion of the mandrel, means for guiding wire to the receiving end of said groove, feeding means for continuously exerting endwise pressure on the wire to continuously move it through the groove and out of the discharge end of the groove of the mandrel, and means for rotating said die, the internal diameter of the die being such with respect to the outer diameter of the mandrel as to cooperate with the feed pressure in causing the wire to assume the helical form of the groove and to move therethrough.

2. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 11 in which the mandrel has a discharge end, and in which the discharge end of the helical groove communicates with the discharge end of the mandrel whereby coiled wire is continuously discharged from said discharge end of the mandrel.

3. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which there is clearance between the outer diameter of the mandrel and the internal diameter of the die, and in which the wire projects into said clearance slightly beyond the periphery of the groove of the mandrel with the internal diameter of the die controlling the outer diameter of the coil being formed.

4. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 3 wherein there is correlated driving mechanism between the wire feeding means and the die rotating means whereby the rotational speed of the die is substantially the same as the linear speed of the wire, so that friction between the wire and the die is substantially eliminated.

5. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 2 in which the receiving end of the helical groove communi cates externally of the die at one end thereof, and wherein the discharge end of the groove communicates externally of the die at the other end thereof.

6. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the wire guiding means extends between the feeding means and the mandrel, in which there is means for adjusting the angle of said wire guiding means to control the angle at which the wire enters the helical groove, in which there is a pair of matching grooved blocks for receiving one end of the mandrel, and in which there is means for removably clamping the two grooved blocks together to hold the mandrel in a fixed rotated and in a fixed linear position with respect to the rotatable die.

7. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the wire guiding means extends between the wire feeding means and the mandrel and is provided with a projecting portion having a cutaway end positioned to overlap the mandrel.

d. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 7 in which the portion of the wire guiding means with the cutaway end is a readily removable bar.

9. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 7 in which the inner end of the cutaway portion is arcuate to conform to the curvature of the mandrel.

ill. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the wire guiding means extends between the matches the lead of said helix.

"4 4* i; '3 ll 

1. A continuous wire coiler comprising a cylindrical nonrotatable mandrel having a helical wire-forming groove in its periphery, said groove having a receiving end and having a discharge end, a hollow die mounted for rotation around a grooved portion of the mandrel, means for guiding wire to the receiving end of said groove, feeding means for continuously exerting endwise pressure on the wire to continuously move it through the groove and out of the discharge end of the groove of the mandrel, and means for rotating said die, the internal diameter of the die being such with respect to the outer diameter of the mandrel as to cooperate with the feed pressure in causing the wire to assume the helical form of the groove and to move therethrough.
 2. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the mandrel has a discharge end, and in which the discharge end of the helical groove communicates with the discharge end of thE mandrel whereby coiled wire is continuously discharged from said discharge end of the mandrel.
 3. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which there is clearance between the outer diameter of the mandrel and the internal diameter of the die, and in which the wire projects into said clearance slightly beyond the periphery of the groove of the mandrel with the internal diameter of the die controlling the outer diameter of the coil being formed.
 4. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 3 wherein there is correlated driving mechanism between the wire feeding means and the die rotating means whereby the rotational speed of the die is substantially the same as the linear speed of the wire, so that friction between the wire and the die is substantially eliminated.
 5. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 2 in which the receiving end of the helical groove communicates externally of the die at one end thereof, and wherein the discharge end of the groove communicates externally of the die at the other end thereof.
 6. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the wire guiding means extends between the feeding means and the mandrel, in which there is means for adjusting the angle of said wire guiding means to control the angle at which the wire enters the helical groove, in which there is a pair of matching grooved blocks for receiving one end of the mandrel, and in which there is means for removably clamping the two grooved blocks together to hold the mandrel in a fixed rotated and in a fixed linear position with respect to the rotatable die.
 7. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the wire guiding means extends between the wire feeding means and the mandrel and is provided with a projecting portion having a cutaway end positioned to overlap the mandrel.
 8. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 7 in which the portion of the wire guiding means with the cutaway end is a readily removable bar.
 9. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 7 in which the inner end of the cutaway portion is arcuate to conform to the curvature of the mandrel.
 10. A continuous wire coiler as claimed in claim 1 in which the wire guiding means extends between the feeding means and the mandrel and is so disposed that the angle at which the wire enters the helical groove matches the lead of said helix. 